Ambitious, focussed and passionate are instantly words that you would assign to 32 year old, drinks entrepreneur Ralph de Lisle once speaking to him. The founder of IKÓ drinks is taking on the giants of the energy drinks industry and with that, we had to get to know more about the brand, the struggles, future plans and of course the reason why!
Ralph de Lisle: The Founder Of IKÓ Drinks Interview
Q1: So you decided to take on the energy drinks market. Why?
A1: I used to work in a high octane environment in finance. If it wasn’t coffee I was throwing down myself to stay alert, it was energy drinks. I was functioning on very little sleep usually. After years it almost wrecked my body and mental health. There had to be a solution with no downsides – something to keep me going and support my body AND mind with everything it needed. The trouble was that the “no-downsides” pick me ups were all weak and didn’t give me the lift I needed. Then a friend of mine put me onto Maté Tea.
After 2 weeks of drinking it instead of coffee and energy drinks, I was blown away by the effects. More energy, focus and calm. I could concentrate for longer. Excercise for longer. I was even sleeping better! Just as powerful as anything else I had drunk, but all I felt was better and better the more I drank. The more research I did into Maté, the more I discovered the incredible and unmatched power of this simple tea. I wanted to take energy drinks back to basics. Nature knows better than any lab how to balance vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and stimulants to deliver the most into our bodies. One leaf. One drink. One hell of a good life. It was totally unavailable in the UK. So IKÓ was born
Q2: Being a young entrepreneur do you have one piece of advice for anyone else planning to start a new business at such a young age?
The less you accept you know, the faster you’ll learn everything you need.
Q3: What’s been the biggest hurdle you have met so far with IKO?
Funding! Raising money is a constant, at least in the early stages of starting IKÓ. If I’m not raising money, I’m carefully planning when I next need to. Cash is king. So the sooner we can turn the business cash positive the better. That usually takes a couple of years in a new venture.
Q4: What is one area of the business you struggle with the most?
Keeping the momentum up when I’m solo in the business. Ideas and energy just flow better when I’m bouncing them off someone else!
Q5: What is one part of the business people would never understand is so timing consuming and difficult to manage?
Social media. It’s one thing flicking through your own personal pages. It’s a neverending job keeping up with the business social posts, stories and replies.
Q6: Manufacturing, distribution, marketing, branding, recipes, admin etc. Just how many roles do you cover on a day 2 day basis?
It’s infinite. You could say “Marketing” and “Sales” are 2 jobs. But when you get into the nitty-gritty of either of them there are roles within roles. But I do what needs to be done and don’t think too much about which hat I’m wearing at the time.
Q7: What separates IKO from all the other energy drinks?
It’s the simplest. Just one active ingredient. Maté Tea. Maté is so packed out with balanced vitamins and minerals you’ll get more from a can than you would from a multivitamin plus a coffee. You’ll feel a hell of a lot better too 🙂
Q8: What part of the business are you most proud of?
Our agroforestry supply chain. We plant trees as part of every crop. It’s a method of regenerative agriculture that allows us to provide a commercial incentive to protect the existing rainforest, and reforest. Because we’ve set this up it simply means that the bigger we grow, the more we sell, and the more of a positive impact we have, reforesting and protecting the rainforest.
Q9: What has been your biggest help/supporter so far?
100% my Mum. She’s been incredible at keeping me level during what have been some of the more stressful times. It helps that she’s a professional psychotherapist too ;).
Q10: Any advice for influencers wishing to work with IKÓ?
We want to build IKÓ into a global brand not just a flash in the pan. Find out about Maté. Try the raw tea for yourself. If we’re going to succeed we need fanatics. There are plenty out there for Maté Tea. Go find out why! We want everyone involved with the brand to contribute. And for that to work, it takes passion for what we’re trying to do.
Q11: Any New IKÓ flavours in the works?
Always! We’re thinking of a berry flavour drink. We’re also planning a range of tea powders – you can make your own at home by just adding water. Add it to your shakes and smoothies and get all the benefits. Any ideas we are always open to hearing them 🙂
Q12: What’s the next step for the company?
Growth online. We’ve just completed a funding round and are committing that money to build our business online. You’ll see the website updated and you’ll start seeing our pop up more often across social platforms. Watch this space.
Q13: Where do you see the company in 3 years?
We want to be moving serious volumes online across the UK. By that time we’ll also be in the US and Europe, where Maté Tea is already an established drink. Ideally, we want to be in a situation where the supermarkets are coming to us, rather than the other way round.
Q14: Where can people buy IKÓ?
The best is via our website: www.ikodrinks.com. But you can also find us on Amazon or in around 100 independent stores across London.
Q15: When should we expect to see IKÓ in supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s?
In around 2-3 years. We want to keep the business predominantly online for the next couple of years. Working with supermarkets can be tough, so we’re giving ourselves time to grow the business to a scale at which we can absorb the costs involved. Thankfully, there’s never been a better time to build a drinks business online only! So the best way for you to get your IKÓ hit is by subscribing to regular deliveries on our website.
